2026-2027 Comparison Test Schedule

Early Spring 2026	Application process opens
July 15, 2026:	Application deadline
July 31, 2026:	Sample processing and handling invoices sent
September 15, 2026:	Deadline for payment
October 1 - November 15, 2026:	Samples shipped to participants
January 05, 2027:	Requests additional set of samples (additional fees apply)
January 29, 2027:	Additional set of samples shipped
March 31, 2027:	Deadline to submit results

Please log in on the right side of the page to enable the comparison test application links. Please contact isag@assochq.org if you experience issues logging in.

The International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG) Standing Committees will offer comparison tests for the period of 2026 to 2027, as listed below.

Online application forms for each test are available on the ISAG website.

The deadline for all applications is July 15, 2026.
Please note that submitting applications after the deadline is not possible.

In order to participate in comparison tests, laboratories need to be paid, institutional members of ISAG, and must maintain that membership for both years of the comparison test process (2026 and 2027).

You will need to enter your institutional member login and password in order to access the application forms. Individual ISAG members will not have access to the application forms.

ISAG will organize the shipping of samples for these tests, using FedEx as the courier. A standard charge of USD 135.00 will be invoiced for each CT to cover the costs of processing and shipping samples. After the application deadline, you will receive a combined invoice for the total cost of all tests your laboratory has requested to participate in. Different tests for the same species will incur only one processing and shipping charge.

ISAG must receive processing and shipping cost payments before your participation in the test will be accepted or samples shipped.

Deadline for payment will be September 15, 2026.

Please review the Critical Duty Lab Notes for EACH CT below. Failure to do so could result in delayed shipment of samples.

The deadline to request a second shipment of samples will be January 5, 2027. Laboratories requesting additional samples will be assessed a USD 210.00 processing fee per set of additional samples. These samples will ship no later than January 29, 2027.

Please contact the ISAG administrative office at isag@assochq.org for technical problems related to the application forms.

For any technical questions on the tests, please contact the committee chair.

For other questions related to these tests, you may contact the chair of the respective committees or the ISAG secretary at isagsecretary@assochq.org.

Committees and Duty Laboratories

Animal Forensic Genetics Committee

Committee Chair: Chesleigh Winfree
Committee Co-Chair: Rosina Fossati

The 2026-2027 International Forensic Genetics DNA Typing Comparison Test

Application Currently Unavailable

Duty laboratory information:
Orivet Genetic Pet Care
St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia

Applied Genetics of Companion Animals Committee

Committee Chair: Hubert Bauer
Committee Co-chair: Minja Zorc

The 2026-2027 International Cat (Felis catus) Short-Tandem-Repeat (STR) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) DNA Typing Comparison Test

You will have the option to choose STR only, SNP only, or both STR and SNP tests on a single application form.
Critical Duty Lab Notes for Shipping and Receiving Samples
Duty laboratory information:
University of California, Davis
Veterinary Genetics Lab
Davis, CA

The 2026-2027 International Dog (Canis lupus familiaris) STR and SNP DNA Typing Comparison Test

You will have the option to choose STR only, SNP only, or both STR and SNP tests on a single application form.
Critical Duty Lab Notes for Shipping and Receiving Samples
Duty laboratory information:
Laboklin GmbH & Co. KG
Bad Kissingen, Bayern, Germany

Cattle Molecular Markers and Parentage Testing Committee

Committee chair: Emiliano Lasagna
Committee co-chair: Paul Flynn

The 2026-2027 International Bovine (Bos taurus) STR and SNP DNA Typing Comparison Tests

You will have the option to choose STR only, SNP only, or both STR and SNP tests on a single application form.
Critical Duty Lab Notes for Shipping and Receiving Samples
Duty laboratory information:
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences
University of Perugia
Perugia, Italy

Equine Genetics and Thoroughbred Parentage Testing Standardization Committee

Committee chair: Leanne Van de Goor
Committee co-chair: Rebecca Bellone

The 2026-2027 International Horse (Equus caballus) STR and SNP DNA Typing Comparison Tests

You will have the option to choose STR only, trial SNP only, or both STR and trial SNP tests on a single application form. The trial SNP test will NOT be officially ranked.
Critical Duty Lab Notes for Shipping and Receiving Samples
Duty laboratory information:
University of California, Davis
Veterinary Genetics Lab
Davis, CA

The 2026-2027 International Donkey (Equus asinus) STR DNA Typing Comparison Test

Critical Duty Lab Notes for Shipping and Receiving Samples
Duty laboratory information:
Texas A&M University
Animal Genetics Laboratory
College Station, TX

Applied Genetics and Genomicsin Other Species of Economic Interest Committee

Committee chair: Agata Piestrzynska-Kajtoch
Committee co-chair: Rosina Fossati

The 2026-2027 International Sheep (Ovis aries) STR and SNP DNA Typing Comparison Tests

Critical Duty Lab Notes for Shipping and Receiving Samples
Duty laboratory information:
Allele Biotechnologia LTDA
São Paulo, Brazil

The 2026-2027 International Goat (Capra hircus) STR DNA Typing Comparison Tests

Critical Duty Lab Notes for Shipping and Receiving Samples
Duty laboratory information:
Universidad de Zaragoza
Zaragoza, Spain

The 2026-2027 International Llama/Alpaca (Lama glama/Vicugna pacos) STR DNA Typing Comparison Test

Critical Duty Lab Notes for Shipping and Receiving Samples
Duty laboratory information:
National Research Institute of Animal Production
Balice, Poland

The 2026-2027 International Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) STR DNA Typing Comparison Test

Critical Duty Lab Notes for Shipping and Receiving Samples
Duty laboratory information:
University of California, Davis
Veterinary Genetics Lab
Davis, CA

The 2026-2027 International Pigeon (Columba livia) STR DNA Typing Comparison Test

Critical Duty Lab Notes for Shipping and Receiving Samples
Duty laboratory information:
National Research Institute of Animal Production
Balice, Poland

The 2026-2027 International Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) STR DNA Typing Comparison Test

Critical Duty Lab Notes for Shipping and Receiving Samples
Duty laboratory information:
Tharb Camel Genetic Center
Doha, Qatar

Below is a brief description of the intent of an ISAG comparison tests

ISAG comparison test is not a proficiency or accreditation test; rather, it measures the technical ability of participating labs and their ability to manage genotypes and solve parentage questions. The intent of the ISAG comparison tests is to help labs obtain comparable genotypes that can be shared between labs when solving parentage or identity cases.